Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday vehemently defended Home Minister Amit Shah against the Congress' accusation that he insulted B.R. Ambedkar in a Rajya Sabha speech. Modi asserted that Shah had actually exposed the Congress' "dark history of insulting" the architect of the Indian Constitution. The prime minister went on to detail a litany of actions by the Congress party that he claimed demonstrated their disrespect for Ambedkar, including denying him a Bharat Ratna and preventing his portrait from being displayed in Parliament's Central Hall. He also criticized the Congress for failing to address the plight of marginalized communities during their time in power. Modi highlighted the efforts of his government in implementing Ambedkar's vision and honoring his legacy.
Historians and conservation architects describe the old edifice as a "repository of India's history" and its "democratic ethos", and an "architectural jewel" of Delhi.
The BJP's Bihar unit responded to the tweet saying, "The first picture is your future and the second is of India. Understood?"
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the President should inaugurate the new Parliament building and not the prime minister.
President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of both the houses of Parliament at the Central Hall on Thursday.
According to sources, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh reached out to other Opposition leaders for the boycott of the event.
Chief Justice of India N V Ramana administered the oath of office of the President to her in the Central Hall of Parliament.
The Union Ministry of Railways runs a canteen inside Parliament, and provides subsidised food items for elected representatives.
The new Parliament building, whose foundation was laid in December 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is being constructed in its vicinity and the work is expected to be completed before the Winter Session.
The existing building is a British-era building, designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker who were responsible for planning and construction of New Delhi.
After Modi is elected the leader of NDA MPs, senior members of the alliance like Telugu Desam Party's N Chandrababu Naidu, Janata Dal-United's Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde will join the prime minister for a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu to present her the list of parliamentarians supporting him, some alliance members said.
Some glimpses of what the new Parliament building will look like...
Gandhi, who is usually flanked by senior party colleagues, was also greeted by both President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The much-awaited Goods and Services Tax will be rolled out on Friday at midnight in the Central Hall in Parliament.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building Sunday morning and installed the scared 'Sengol' in the Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker's chair, after performing a puja.
Proceedings of the lower house are likely to be disrupted over suspension of 6 MPs by the speaker.
Presiding officers of both Houses Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday held deliberations on the logistics of organising the session in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sources said options were being explored so that both Houses could function simultaneously during the session, and not on alternate days as some sections of the media were claiming.
The Congress' top leadership will deliberate on the Lok Sabha election results and chalk out its future strategy at a crucial meeting of the party's working committee on Saturday.
Sheela Bhatt followed the celebration of 60 years of Parliament from the Central Hall's balcony. 'It was undoubtedly a privilege to participate in the historic function to mark the 60th anniversary of Parliament,' she says, 'but in the end there were no new ideals, ideas or hope added to democracy's great history.'
Addressing the newly elected MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament, she said far from taking responsibility for the failure, the prime minister intends to get himself sworn in again on Sunday.
MPs cutting across party lines were seen violating social distancing norms during President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on Monday.
The old Parliament building will now be known as 'Samvidhan Sadan', Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday as the functioning of Parliament shifted to its new building in New Delhi.
It was an emotional day for Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, a day of many firsts. It was the first time he stepped into Parliament and at a meeting held in the Central Hall he was elected leader of the National Democratic Alliance.
Taking to Twitter, AAP's Sanjay Singh shared a video of leaders greeting President Kovind at the farewell ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament.
Watch President's Obama's speech to Parliament Live
On of the key elements of United States President Barack Obama's visit to India will be his address to members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the Central Hall of Parliament on November 8.
The Opposition hit out at the government over the absence of Rajya Sabha Chairman, Lok Sabha Speaker and ministers from the traditional event marking the birth anniversary of those whose portraits adorn Parliament's Central Hall.
On Thursday, Droupadi Murmu was elected as the 15th President of India.
Parliament is being dressed up ahead of Barack Obama's address to the members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the Central Hall on November 8.
Barring special invitees and former members of Parliament, no visitors would be allowed inside Parliament when American President Barack Obama addresses MPs on the evening of November 8. This would be part of beefed-up security measures for the US leader when he visits the historic Central Hall of Parliament, which is being given a makeover for the big event
The government on Monday said that matters regarding Chinese intrusion can't be discussed in Parliament as it concerns the security of the country.
United States President Barack Obama will address a joint session of the Parliament on November 8 during his first state visit to the country and with less than a month to go preparations are in full swing to give the American premier a warm welcome.
The live telecast of Parliament proceedings will make parliamentarians more responsible and debates more purposeful, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new parliament building in New Delhi on Thursday evening and inspected various works as well as interacted with construction workers, sources said.
Samajwadi Party, which is extending outside support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Friday opposed any plans for scheduling United States President George W Bush's address to Parliament during his visit to India.
Lok Sabha proceedings on Tuesday began in the new Parliament building, located adjacent to the old one, starting a new chapter in the parliamentary history of India.
President-elect Droupadi Murmu will take oath of office of the highest constitutional post of the country on Monday followed by a 21 gun salute.
In the wake of rising cases of coronavirus nothing has been finalised yet and it is will be difficult to specify how the session will be held while adhering to social distancing norms.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi was back in Parliament on Monday after two weeks. She had been to the United States, attending to her octogenarian ailing mother.
Time came to a halt in Parliament around 1705 IST on Thursday when all the wall clocks suddenly stopped in both Houses, the Central Hall, in ministers' chambers and rooms.
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